


Here to stay

by LordReborn



Series: Stray connections do KNOT (Always Entangle) [3]
Category: Bleach
Genre: F/M, Idiots with a crush, i just had to okay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:42:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28286430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LordReborn/pseuds/LordReborn
Summary: Toshiro has a decision to make and Karin is just about done with it, but at least she has more patience and grace than her older brother when it comes to these things.
Relationships: Hitsugaya Toushirou/Kurosaki Karin
Series: Stray connections do KNOT (Always Entangle) [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2039626
Comments: 1
Kudos: 20





	Here to stay

**Author's Note:**

> second accompanying fic, short but hopefully sweet;   
> please read And then the Sun rises before reading this because it's basically just a scene that didn't have space in the original   
> please enjoy!

* * *

It’s no question that people harbor bad habits.

Karin detests that particular human trait even as she is a prime practitioner of it. And yet, now that she had to search through half of Karakura for Toshiro, she isn’t anything other than frustrated.

In retrospect, she should have figured it out sooner, but she will defend herself with the fact that she is too distracted by the Shinigami’s departure to the Soul Society. Of Rangiku-san’s too enthusiastic words of encouragement and of Aizen’s leery looks. Of Byakuya-san’s simple and logical advice that Karin hates because it is too sound, too _it could go well._

Things have a tendency of screwing themselves over, especially when cross-dimensional feelings are involved.

Just look at her damn older brother.

She finds Toshiro on their school’s rooftop – his second favorite place after the tall hill overlooking the riverbank. When he goes to the hilltop, he goes there to think.

When he comes to the rooftop, Toshiro is here to _brood._

“What are you doing here?” Karin announces her presence loudly and stomps over to where he’s sitting against the tall fence. “You should be out there eating all the pizza you can before you have to go back to that rice and fish diet that they have you do in the Soul Society.”

A snort is her only answer. Toshiro barely affords her a glance before he turns back to studying the cityscape.

Karin takes a seat next to him with a heavy sigh and waits for a few seconds, more because her courage comes in trickling portions and not in abundant waves. She can never figure out how Ichi-nii did it.

“Have you,” her hands tighten and relax into fists, “decided what you are going to do?”

There is an unnerving silence in the wake of her question, one that kind of answers things and kind of not. Karin detests when her feelings have to depend on someone else – she’s usually the one doing the kicking ass and breaking hearts.

With every second of quiet that comes, she is starting to hate Toshiro too.

“I don’t know yet.”

Scratch that, the answer is even more horrible.

“I think it’s quite straightforward-“ Karin deadpans, but Toshiro cuts her off.

“And I’d like nothing more than to give you an answer.” He is infuriatingly calm. Karin wants to tear her hair out and he is counting clouds and slowly deliberating while time is trickling out. “But this decision is too big to make it recklessly.”

Karin grimaces and lets her head fall and her hair to cover her face. She tries to think of what else to say, but nothing comes to mind. Of course it’s a big decision, they are basically asking him to move his whole life here, to abandon everything, every friend he has in the Seiretei in exchange for… what?

Living a boring, normal human life?

Going to school after he’s killed Hollows and who knows what else for hundreds of years?

Give up his captain status and instead be mistaken for a middle school kid for the next three years?

_This is ridiculous,_ Karin thinks, standing to her feet. Her lips are so tightly pressed together that she cannot even offer Toshiro a word of acknowledgment as she walks to the door.

“I try to keep in mind what you and Matsumoto said to me. Not as much what captain Kuchiki said because he confused me.”

Karin stops to look over her shoulder, surprised that he talked. He’s looking at her now, eyes so serious she feels the suffocating effect even at this distance.

“It’s… hard though.” He admits.

“I know.”

Toshiro clicks his tongue, biting on his thumbnail. “And time is running out.”

Karin turns, suddenly filled with a newfound resolve.

“You have to do what makes you happiest. That’s the whole point, Toshiro. I will see you back home.”

“I guess I could never juggle both, huh?” He might speak for his own benefit, but Karin still pauses once again and scoffs.

“Of course not. I can never be a soul reaper, you know?”

With a heavy exhale, Toshiro rises to his feet and walks closer, hands in his pockets. He keeps watching her and Karin’s eyes narrow when no quip or sarcastic comment comes back.

“On the one hand I am in a top position in the Seiretei, but on the other hand I get to eat pizza every day.”

There is a small smile playing on his lips.

“Don’t forget getting to endure miss Yamaguchi’s shouting for another two years.”

Toshiro snorts softly, a sort of laugh that passes through his nose and only appears when he’s tense enough to be unable to really express his amusement.

Karin bites her lip, frustrated that she’s part of the reason for his current distress.

“I’m not going to be angry with you, or resent you if you decide to stay in the Soul Society, you know? You don’t need to think about me in this decision.”

A hand goes to the back of his head and it’s such an uncharacteristic gesture from him that it confuses Karin for a long second. 

“That’s kind of hard considering that you’re a big part of that reason.” Karin avoids her eyes to the ground, hoping that her cheeks aren’t as red as Toshiro’s. “But there’s also what Kuchiki told us yesterday. I can’t-“

His voice cracks. Surprised, Karin looks up and sees him basically _devastated_ by whatever secrets Rukia related to the Shinigami. She didn’t expect the news to be so awful, but Toshiro looks like a wreck whenever he even _mentions_ the events after dinner the other night.

“I feel like I can’t stand that place anymore. But on the other hand, I want to help the others make things right.” His brow furrows, angry, frustrated.

“And yet everyone is telling me to stay back. It’s like being torn in two directions, but then I tried to put things into perspective. This thing can take years – hundreds of years,” Toshiro looks up to the crystal blue sky, to the clouds serenely floating above their heads, “I can barely imagine myself staying two weeks there to wrap things up. A hundred years is… unbearable.”

“Toshiro,” Karin begins, uncertain what she can say to make things better, but he surprises her when he grins down at her, a small one filled with hesitation and yet reconciled with the situation.

“I guess it’s good that I can move my personal residence to Karakura permanently.”

A thrill flashes through Karin and her eyes widen at the implication of his words.

“You-“

His grin never wavers, but his eyes soften, and he seems to deflate on the spot.

“I guess I won’t know for sure until I’m there, but for the moment I think this choice is the best one.”

There is a split second when excitement blinds everything else around them and Karin would later deny her mushiness, but right then, her arms do fly around the boy to pull him in a tight hug. Toshiro is shocked enough to be late in hugging her back, but Karin cannot fault him when she is well aware that she’s not usually such a touchy-feely person.

Still, this is an exception and if he doesn’t like it, he can always say so, though that thought is quickly dismissed when Karin feels him rest his chin on the top of her head.

“It’s going to be a tough few weeks.”

He’s tired already and she cannot fault him for that.

Karin steps back and clears her throat, mindless of the happiness pounding at the back of her head.

“You have to do all you can to convince Hinamori-san!” Karin crosses her arms, resolved to not let him off the hook.

Toshiro always mentions his childhood friend and it’s obvious that they are close enough that he considers the girl his family. She also heard bits and pieces of what Hinamori went through with Aizen and it made her angry enough to give the madman a well-deserved cold-shoulder for a week.

It would be great if Hinamori would accept to leave that stressful life behind and rest in the Gensei for a while. The girl definitely deserves it.

“I will try.” Toshiro is determined enough for Karin to drop the subject, satisfied. “But I guess it will be a difficult period of adjustment, _especially_ with Aizen here.”

The sneer that decorates his face makes her roll her eyes.

“Then she’ll just have to get a restraining order against him or something. Lord knows we should all do the same.”

Toshiro bursts out laughing then, and he seems to finally, properly relax. Karin smiles, pleased with herself and it’s why, she supposes, she is caught off-guard when Toshiro grabs her hand.

Her face must be red again, but she pretends that it isn’t if only to keep a tight grip on her sanity. Still, her smile widens and she’s pretty certain that it is mirrored on Toshiro’s face.

She can’t see it though, because he’s dragging her to the stairway while he declares.

“I am getting a large pizza on the way home.”

* * *


End file.
